Dative › dependent › dative proper
§§1469–1470 · 2 sections
DATIVE AS INDIRECT COMPLEMENT OF VERBS
Many verbs take the dative as the indirect object together with an accusative as the direct object. The indirect object is commonly introduced in English by to.
Κῦρος δίδωσιν αὐτῷ ἓξ μηνῶν μισθόν
Cyrus gives him pay for six months A. 1.1.10, τῷ Ὑρκανίῳ ἵππον ἐδωρήσατο
he presented a horse to the Hyrcanian C. 8.4.24, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα διανεῖμαι τοῖς στρατηγοῖς
to distribute the rest to the generals A. 7.5.2, μῑκρὸν μεγάλῳ εἰκάσαι
to compare a small thing to a great thing 4.36, πέμπων αὐτῷ ἄγγελον
sending a messenger to him A. 1.3.8, ὑπισχνοῦμαί σοι δέκα τάλαντα I promise you ten talents 1. 7. 18, τοῦτο σοὶ δ᾽ ἐφῑ́εμαι
I lay this charge upon thee Aj. 116, παρῄνει τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις τοιάδε
he advised the Athenians as follows 6.8, ἐμοὶ ἐπιτρέψαι ταύτην τὴν ἀρχήν
to entrust this command to me A. 6.1.31. λέγειν ταῦτα τοῖς στρατιώταις to say this to the soldiers 1. 4. 11 (λέγειν πρός τινα lacks the personal touch of the dative, which indicates interest in the person addressed). A dependent clause often represents the accusative.
Passive.—The accusative of the active becomes the subject of the passive, the dative remains: ἐκείνῳ αὕτη ἡ χώρᾱ ἐδόθη
this land was given to him H. 3.1.6.
§§1471–1473 · 3 sections
DATIVE AS DIRECT OR INDIRECT COMPLEMENT OF VERBS
Many verbs may take the dative either alone or with the accusative.
οὐδενὶ μέμφομαι
I find fault with no one 21.190, τί ἄν μοι μέμφοιο; what fault would you have to find with me? O. 2.15; ὑπηρετῶ τοῖς θεοῖς
I am a servant of the gods C. 8.2.22, Ἔρωτι πᾶν ὑπηρετεῖ
he serves Eros in everything S. 196c; παρακελεύονται τοῖς περὶ νῑ́κης ἁμιλλωμένοις
they exhort those who are striving for victory 9.79, ταῦτα τοῖς ὁπλῑ́ταις παρακελεύομαι
I address this exhortation to the hoplites 7.63; ὀνειδίζετε τοῖς ἀδικοῦσιν
you reproach the guilty 27.16 (also accus.), Θηβαίοις τὴν ἀμαθίᾱν ὀνειδίζουσι
they upbraid the Thebans with their ignorance 15.248; θεοῖς εὐξάμενοι
having prayed to the gods 3.58, εὐξάμενοι τοῖς θεοῖς τᾱ̓γαθά
having prayed to the gods for success C. 2.3.1 (cp. αἰτεῖν τινά τι, 1628). So ἐπιτῑμᾶν (ἐγκαλεῖν) τινι to censure (accuse) some one, ἐπιτῑμᾶν (ἐγκαλεῖν) τί τινι censure something in (bring an accusation against) some one. So ἀπειλεῖν threaten; and ἀμῡ́νειν, ἀλέξειν, ἀρήγειν ward off (τινί τι in poetry, 1483).
τῑμωρεῖν (poet. τῑμωρεῖσθαί) τινι means to avenge some one (take vengeance for some one), as τῑμωρήσειν σοι τοῦ παιδὸς ὑπισχνοῦμαι I promise to avenge you because of (on the murderer of) your son C. 4.6.8, εἰ τῑμωρήσεις Πατρόκλῳ τὸν φόνον
if you avenge the murder of Patroclus A. 28c. τιμωρεῖσθαί (rarely τῑμωρεῖν) τινα means to avenge oneself upon some one (punish some one).
For the dative of purpose (to what end?), common in Latin with a second dative (dono dare), Greek uses a predicate noun: ἐκείνῳ ἡ χώρᾱ δῶρον ἐδόθη
the country was given to him as a gift H. 3.1.6. The usage in Attic inscriptions (ἧλοι ταῖς θύραις
nails for the doors C.I.A. /lref>, add. 834 b, 1, 38) is somewhat similar to the Latin usage. Cp. 1502.
a. The infinitive was originally, at least in part, a dative of an abstract substantive, and served to mark purpose: τίς τ᾽ ἄρ σφωε θεῶν ἔριδι ξυνέηκε μάχεσθαι; who then of the gods brought the twain together (for) to contend in strife? A 8. Cp. “what went ye out for to see?” St. Matth. 11. 8.
In the index: Complement · Dative case · Indirect · Infinitive